Q: My power just went out — what should I do first?
A: Here’s the step-by-step:
- Check your apartment’s breaker panel.
- Make sure no circuit breakers have tripped or any fuses are blown.
- Safely reset any tripped switch or replace a blown fuse if you’re comfortable doing so.
- When resetting a breaker, “flip” the affected breaker into the on position and hold for 10-15 seconds before releasing.
- Check your GFCI outlets
- Many kitchens, bathrooms, and utility areas have GFCI outlets, which are the outlets with the reset and test buttons.
- If a GFCI trips, it can shut off power not just to that outlet but to several others on the same line.
- Press the RESET button firmly to restore power to the affected area.
- If everything looks fine at your breaker panel, check if the outage affects the entire building or the neighborhood:
- Visit your utility’s outage website (see contacts below) to see if there’s a reported outage.
- Or call the utility to ask if there is an outage in your area.
- If it appears to be a neighborhood or city-wide outage (or you see a report on the utility’s site), then it’s in the hands of the utility company.
- If the outage is isolated to your apartment and you’ve verified your breakers/fuses are okay, you may want to contact the utility to report the issue — sometimes there could be a localized problem such as a damaged supply line.
- Please note: our office is not able to resolve power outages, so you do not need to contact us about the outage itself. It must be handled by your utility or via resetting your breaker/fuse on your end.
Q: Why don’t I contact the property manager or landlord?
A: Because power outages and restored service are controlled entirely by the local utility and your apartment’s breaker/fuse panel. The property manager does not have access to restore electricity. So the responsibility for initiating the reset or contacting the utility lies with you.
Q: What if my breaker panel continues to trip or the fuse keeps blowing?
A: Repeated breaker trips or blown fuses may indicate a larger electrical problem within your apartment (e.g., overloaded circuit or faulty appliance). In that case:
- Try unplugging non-essential devices and reset the breaker again.
- If it trips again, contact the utility and request an inspection, or consider hiring a licensed electrician (at your cost) to investigate your internal wiring or appliances.
Q: How can I check for utility outages in Burlington?
A: Here are the main local contacts:
- Burlington Electric Department — outage website / call: 802-865-7300
- Green Mountain Power — outage website / call: (888) 835-4672
Q: Can I leave a message for the property manager about the outage?
A: You’re welcome to notify us for your records with a non-emergency maintenance request via your Online Portal (just so we know you experienced the outage). But please understand that we cannot restore the power or apply pressure on the utility to restore faster—we cannot influence the outage resolution process.
Q: Is there anything I should do after power is restored?
A: Yes:
- Go back to your breaker panel and ensure all circuits are reset.
- If you reset a tripped breaker, plug in essential devices one by one rather than all at once (to avoid overloading the circuit).
- If you lost perishables in a fridge/freezer due to the outage: check local guidelines on food safety for power loss.
- If you continue to have electrical problems (flickering lights, repeated trips, etc.) contact a licensed electrician.
